What are plant surfactants

Plant surfactant is a natural surfactant, usually extracted or prepared from plants. Surfactants are a type of molecule with hydrophilicity and lipophilicity, which play a role in reducing surface tension, promoting liquid dispersion, emulsification, and stability in the thin film formed on the liquid surface.

Compared with synthetic surfactants, plant surfactants have advantages such as green environmental protection, biodegradability, and are less prone to environmental and health issues. In industry, plant surfactants can be widely used in fields such as lubricants, emulsifiers, cleaning agents, dye additives, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Common plant surfactants include:

Fatty acid salts: such as coconut oil fatty acid sodium, palm oil fatty acid sodium, etc.

Alkaloids: such as saponins, saponins, etc.

Polysaccharides: such as xanthan gum, alginate, etc.

Fatty alcohol ether sulfates: such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl polyoxyethylene ether sulfate, etc.

The specific properties and application range of plant surfactants depend on factors such as their chemical structure and source, and need to be selected and applied according to specific circumstances.